Refrigerating apparatus



A118 1937. 5/1.. HOrIfLAC'HER 2,089,608

- REFRIGERATING APPARATUS Filed Jan. 30, 1934 4 Sheets-Sheet l u 1931?. l E. L HO LACHER 2,089,608

REFRIGERATING APPARATUS Filed "Jan. 30, 1954 4 Sheets-Sheet 2 Aug. 10,1937. HQRLAGHER 2,089,608

REFRIGERATING APPARATUS I Filed Jan. 30, 1934 4 Sheets-Sheet 4 czw xm.

Patented Aug. 10,1937

narmcaaa'rmc APPARATUS Elmer L. Horlacher, Dayton, Ohio, assignor to General Motors Corporation, Dayton, Ohio, a corporation of Delaware Application January 30, 1934, Serial No, 709,008

a Claims.

This invention relates to refrigerating apparatus and particularly to the arrangement of a refrigerating system in a household refrigerator cabinet.

An object of the present invention is to provide an improved refrigerating apparatus of the household type in which a positive circulation of air over the cooling unit is insured.

Another object of the present invention is to provide a household refrigerator with means for causing a positive circulation of air over the,

evaporator disposed within the food storage compartment thereof to insure the maintenance of a substantially uniform predetermined low tem- I perature throughout the entire compartment to properly preserve food products stored thereinhousehold type in which the means for operating 0 the air circulating means in the food storage compartment is disposed exteriorly of the compartment and utilized to operate another air circulating means located exteriorly of the food compartment for causing a forced circulation of 5 air over a heat dissipating element of the refrigerating system.

A still further object of theinvention is to provide a unitary structure including a complete closed refrigerating system and also including a 40 means for causing a positive circulation of air over a portion of a cooling element of the system which structure forms a removable wall portion of a food storage compartment of a household refrigerator cabinet and positions the air circu- 45 lating means and the portion of the cooling element with whichit is associated in the food compartment and other elements of the refrigerating system exteriorly of the food compartment when the structure is assembled into the cabinet.

Further objects and advantages of the present invention will be apparent'from the following description, reference being had tothe accom D nying drawings, wherein a preferred form of the present invention is clearly shown. 7

55 In the drawings:

Fig. 1 is a front elevational view of a refrigerator cabinet of the household type having the present invention embodied therein; 7

' Fig. 2 is an enlarged vertical sectional view of the cabinet taken on lines 22 of Fig. 1 showing a complete refrigerating system mounted in the cabinet;

Fig. 3 is a fragmentary vertical section through a cabinet similar to the cabinet shown in Fig. 1 and disclosing a unitary structure including a closed refrigerating system removably positioned in the cabinet;

Fig. 4 discloses the unitary refrigerating system shown in Fig. 3 as being removed from the cabinet;

Fig. 5 is a horizontal section taken on lines 5-5 of the cabinet disclosed in Fig. 3;

Fig. 8 is a horizontal section of the cabinet taken on the lines 6-6 of Fig. 3;

Fig. '7 is a fragmentary side view partly in section and partly in elevation of a refrigerator cabinet showing a modification of a complete removable unitary refrigerating system mounted therein; and

Fig. 8 is a fragmentary front elevational view of the modified structure disclosed in Fig. 7 showing the access door of the food storage compartment in open position.

Referring to the drawings I have shown in Fig. 1 thereof, for the purpose of illustrating the present invention, a refrigerator cabinet of the household type generally designated by the numeral III. The cabinet l0 includes a plurality of stationary insulated walls I I forming a food storage compartment l2 and a machine compartment l3 below and in substantially vertical alignment with the food storage compartment. A closed refrigerating system is mounted in the cabinet l0 and includes a cooling element or evaporator having a portion ll located in the insulation provided in the bottom of the cabinet and also including another portion l5 located within the food storage compartment l2.

'for circulating refrigerant through the portions l4 and I! of the evaporator includes an enclosed motor-compressor comprising a motor l5 which is directly connected with a compressor I! for,

operating the same. The discharge side of the compressor I1 is connected by a pipe I! with a condenser l9 and the low pressure or suction side of the compressor is connected by a pipe 2| with the evaporator IS. A motor 22 is mounted in any suitable manner such as by brackets 23 under the-insulated bottom wall of the compartment l2 and has a shaft 24 extending through The mechanism the insulated bottom wall of the compartment l2 and operatively connected with a fan or blower 25 disposed within the compartment I2. The shaft 24 of motor 22 also extends outwardly from 5 the bottom of the motor and has a second fan or blower 21 mounted thereon. Operations of the motors l6 and 22 and consequently compressor Il, may be controlled in any suitable manner. In the present disclosure I have shown 10 a thermostat 23 mounted in the food storage compartment l2 of the cabinet 10 and operatively connected in any suitable manner to a switch 29. Wires 3| and 32 lead from a source of electrical. supply and are connected in any suitable manner with the motors l6 and 22. The electric circuit to the motors is broken, however, by the switch 29 which is inserted in the supply line 3|. The thermostatically controlled switch 29 serves to make or break the electrical circuit to the motors l6 and 22 for simultaneously starting or stopping operations of the motors. The compressor l1, upon being operated, withdraws gaseous refrigerant through pipe 2| from that portion of the evaporator l5 mounted in the 25 food storage compartment of the cabinet and compresses and forces the compressed refrigerant under pressure through pipe l8 to the condenser l9 where the refrigerant upon being cooled, by air circulating over the condenser l9 by the fan or blower 21, is liquefied. A valve, restricting member, or any other suitable refrigerant expansion element 34 is inserted in the pipe 35 leading from condenser l9 and is employed to control or regulate the amountof liquid refrig- 35 erant flowing through the expansion passages in that portion of the evaporator l4 which is isolated a or insulated from that portion of the evaporator IS. The portion M of the evaporator or cooling element may receive a substantial quantity of liquid refrigerant and therefore this portion of the cooling element or evaporator will be colder than the portion l5 thereof and may be utilized 50 ment through apipe 41 to the portion l5 of the cooling element will be partially expanded and will therefore be at a substantially higher temperature than refrigerant within the portion l4 of the evaporator. The evaporator I5 is thus 55 maintained at a substantially higher temperature or at a temperature above the temperature at which moisture or water will be withdrawn thereby from the air in the food storage compartment.

0 An L-shaped metal member 43 is mounted within the food storage compartment l2 and is secured in any suitable mannento the walls of the cabinet Ill. The member 43 includes a verti cal portion 45 and a horizontally disposed portion 5 45 and forms an L-shaped flue 46. The portion of the evaporator l5 and the fan or blower 25- and also thermostat 28 and switch 29 may ali'be mounted in any suitable position within the food storage compartment l2, and are shown as being 70 within the L-shaped flue 46 provided by the member 43. The fans or blowers 25 and 27 may each be provided with a housing or shroud 41- blower 25 from the vertical portion of the L- shaped flue 45 through an opening 49 provided in the housing or shroud 41 and then forced from the shroud 41 over the portion I 5 of the cooling element. Air is drawn through an opening 50 provided in the bottom of themachine compartment l3 by the fan or blower 27, and

this air flows over condenser l9 to cool the same 7 pressor l1 and motor 22 operates both fans or blowers 25 and 21 to cause a positive circulation of air over the evaporator portion l5 in the food storage compartment l2, and over the condenser i9. The air circulation within the food storage compartment l2 and the L-shaped flue 46 provided therein includes the drawing of relatively warm air from the top of the compartment into the upper portion of the flue 46 and expelling cool air from thelower portion of the flue near the front of the food storage compartment. Since the evaporator i5 is maintained at substantially the same temperature which is desired to be maintained withinthe food storage compartment very little, if any; air would be caused to be circulated by temperatures produced in the evaporator i5, thus the fan or blower 25 causes a positive circulation of air tonniformly cool all portions of the food storage compartment.

In Fig. 3 of the drawings I have shown a modification of the apparatus above described and this modified showing is in the form of a unitary structure including a complete closed refrigerating system mounted on a removable wall portion of the food compartment I2. The unitary structure includes a horizontally disposed insulated wall portion 5| and a vertically disposed insuin the cabinet l0 forms at least a portion of the bottom wall of the food compartment and also a portion of the back wall thereof. In this modified showing the entire refrigerating system is mounted on a base 53 which rests on cross pieces 54 extending from the front to the rear of the lated wall portion 52 which when positioned withcabinet and supported by the bottom frame portion of the cabinet Ill. The cross pieces 54 serve .to'receive and guide the base 53 of the unitary structure in position vithin the cabinet Ill. The horizontal and vertical edges 56 of the aperture or opening in the food compartment walls for receiving the portions 5| and 52 of the removable structure has a gasket 51 extending therearound in order to properly seal the food compartment against heat leakage at the joints between the removable structure and the cabinet l0 (see Fig. 4).

In Figs. '7 and 8 of the drawings I have shown a unitary removable structure of a modified form from that shown in Figs. 3 and 4. In this modified showing of the removable unitary structure the ice tray opening in the portion l4 of the cooling element is positioned in an elevated position relative to that shown in Figs. 3 and 4 so as to be in alignment with and closed by the food storage compartment door 39. The freezing compartment provided in portion l4 of the cooling element is thereby sealed from the food storage compartment by the single food storage compartment access door. The portion l of the cooling element is disposed in a compartment or pocket 58 provided in back of the insulated portion 59 of the unitary removable structure housing in the evaporator portion l4 (see Fig. '7). In this struccabinet while its horizontal portion closes the compartment 58 in the unitary removable structure. In this modified structure the horizontal portion 45 of the member 43 may be carried by I the removable wall portion. 5| or 52 if desired.

It is to be understood that'while I have shown and indicated air circulating in certain directions it is obvious that other arrangements and directions of circulation may be employed in carrying out the objects and purposes of this invention. i

From the foregoing it is apparent that I have provided an improved refrigerating apparatus of the household type wherein a positive circulation of air is caused to flow over an evaporator disposed in the food storage compartment of a cabinet which evaporator may be maintained at a tem-- perature above that atwhich water or moisture condenses thereon. Dehydration of the air and/or of food products stored in the cabinet is thus prevented and a substantially uniform temperature is maintained throughout the en tire food compartment by virtue of forcing a circulation of air therein when the refrigerating mechanism operates. An improved structure as disclosed obviously eliminates the necessity of periodically defrosting the evaporator within the food storage compartment of a refrigerator cabinet, thus permitting food products stored in the compartment to be maintained at a substantially constant uniform temperature at all times. In addition I have provided such improved apparatus with a unitary closed refrigerating system which may be bodily'removed or detached from the cabinet for replacement or for permitting shipment of the system to the factory as a unit for repairs.

I have also provided an improved apparatus by utilizing the motor, which operates a fan or blower to force cooling air over the condenser of a compression refrigerating system, for driving another fan or blower located within the food storage compartment of a refrigerator cabinet to I cause a positive circulation of air within the compartment and over an evaporator portion disposed therein.

While the forms of embodiments of the invention as herein disclosed, constitute preferred forms, it is to be understood that other forms might be adopted, all coming within the scope of the claims which follow.

- said cabinet including a cooling element having av portion disposed within said food storage cornpartment and another portion isolated from said food compartment, means including ,a refrigerant liquefying and condensing apparatus disposed within said machine compartment for circulating refrigerant to said isolated portion of said cooling element and thence to said portion of said cooling element disposed within the food storage compartment, a fan or blower within said food compartment, a second fan or blower in said machine compartment, and a single means for operating said fans or blowers for causing 'a positive circulation of air over said portion of said cooling element within said food storage compartment and for causing a positive circulation of air over another element of said refrigerating system disposed in said machine compartment, said means and said elements all being removable from said cabinet as a unit. 2. A refrigerating apparatus of the household type comprising in combination, a cabinet including a plurality of walls forming a food storage compartment having a single access opening in the front wall thereof and a door for closing said opening, said plurality of walls also forming a machine compartment beyond the food storage compartment, a member extending continuously along the bottom 'and back wall of said food compartment and having an opening adjacent the access opening to said food compartment and an opening adjacent the top wall of said food compartment and forming an L-shaped flue therein,

a closed refrigerating system mounted in said cabinet including a cooling element having a portion disposed within the flue in said food storage compartment and another portion isolated from said food compartment, means including a refrigerant circulating apparatus disposed within said machine compartment for circulating a re frigerant to said isolated portion of said cooling element and thence to said portion of said cooling element disposed within the flue in said food compartment, a fan or blower within said food compartment, a second fan or blower in said machine compartment, and a single means for operating said fans or blowers for causing a positive circulation of air through said flue and over said portion of said cooling element within said food storage compartment and for causing a positive circulation of air over another element of said refrigerant circulating apparatus disposed in said machine compartment.

3. A refrigerating apparatus of the household I type comprising in combination, a cabinet including a plurality of walls forming a food storage compartment and a machine compartment beyond the food storage compartment, a closed refrigerating system mounted in said cabinet including a cooling elementhaving a. portion disposed within. said food storage compartment and another portion isolated from said food compartment, means including a refrigerant circulating apparatus disposed within said machine compartment for circulating a refrigerant to said isolated portion of said cooling element and thence to said portion of said cooling element disposed within the food storage compartment, a fan or blower within said food compartment, a. second fan or blower in said machine comparte ment, and a single means for operating said fans or blowers for causing a positive circulation of air over said portion of said cooling element within said food storage compartment and for causing a positive circulation of air over another element of said refrigerant circulating apparatus disposed in said machine compartment, said means and said elements all being removable from said cabinet as a unit.

4. A refrigerating apparatus of the household type comprising in combination, a cabinet including a plurality of walls forming a food storage compartment having a single access opening and a door for closing said opening, said plurality of walls also forming a machine compartment beyond the food storage compartment, a closed refrigerating system mounted in said cabinet including a cooling element having a portion disposed within said food storage compartment in direct contact with air therein and another portion isolated from air within the food storage compartment but accessible through the single access opening closed by said door, means including a refrigerant circulating apparatus disposed within said machine compartment for circulating blower in said machine compartment, and a single means for operating said fans or blowers for causing a positive circulation of air over said portion of said cooling element within said i'ood storage compartment and for causing a positive circulation of air over another element of said refrigerant circulating apparatus disposed in said machine compartment, said means and said elements all being removable from said cabinet as a unit.- I n ELMER. L. HORLACHER; 

